Grindr, the LGBTQ dating app, has issued its staff with an ultimatum: relocate to new offices or lose their jobs. The policy came into place after Grindr workers announced that they would be unionising to protect their jobs and benefits.
Vice reports that the dating app has launched a new return-to-office policy, requiring staff to live within 50 miles of their designated offices, or lose their jobs. Workers in the engineering team were told to relocate to Chicago, and the product & design team were told to move to California
By not moving, workers would have their jobs end by 31st August, receiving six months of severance pay and COBRA healthcare benefits.
Staff at Grindr told Vice that the policy is essentially asking them to “uproot their lives”. “The root of the problem here is that it’s an extremely disrespectful and rude way to convey this kind of dramatic change,” said Jack Alto, a Grindr software engineer and union organiser.
The decision comes after Grindr workers announced last month that they are looking to unionise. The campaign started in the midst of layoffs across the tech industry, as well as political attacks on LGBTQ people across the U.S.
Unionisation looked to secure benefits such as trans-inclusive healthcare, pay transparency, and job security for Grindr workers.
Click here to read Vice’s full report on the ongoing situation with Grindr.